Is That a Russian Sub Lurking Off the Jersey Shore?

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This vessel was spotted off the Jersey Shore Sunday, shortly before noon.

Updated at 5:30 PM EDT on Thursday, Aug 27, 2009

What appears at first blush to be a pretty good photo of a surfer enjoying the waves off the Jersey Shore may upon closer scrutiny reveal a Russian nuclear sub trolling the waters off America's eastern seaboard.

The post had a lot of people buzzing -- with everyone from the Coast Guard to users on Twitter, Digg and NBC Philadelphia joining in the debate over what they were seeing.

"I was down the Ocean City shore in New Jersey, Corsons Inlet on Sunday photographing the wave and surfers. When I got back home to veiw [sic] the pics on my computer, I noticed something odd in the back ground so I enlarge the photo, and there it was a 'submarine' had surfaced," read Ferguson's caption on So Philly.

Ferguson, a roofer by trade who regularly goes out shooting with his Sony Alpha 900, went in for a closer look.

"I zoomed in and I go, 'Wow, that looks like a submarine," said Ferguson.

On the other hand, another commenter, Jeff Kelly, said it's merely equipment from the dredging of Corson's Inlet. An Aug. 22 report in the Press of Atlantic City indicated that the dredger had "been moved from Corson's Inlet to a safe harbor in Cape May to ride out" hurricane Bill. Kelly maintains that the pictured object is likely the piping left behind, and possible a barge inspecting for damage.

A call to the Coast Guard revealed that they had seen the photo on NBCPhiladelphia, but were not aware of any submarine activity near Corson's Inlet.

As coincidence would have it, a pair of nuclear-powered Russian subs actually have been patrolling the Atlantic, The New York Times reported earlier this month.